Deu 14:2 | NETfull | STEP | For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. He has chosen you to be his people, prized above all others on the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 14:2

2 For you are a people holy ^{▼▼ Or “set apart.”} to the Lord your God. He ^{▼▼ Heb “The Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.} has chosen you to be his people, prized ^{▼▼ Or “treasured.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (s^egullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4–6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, NIDOTTE 3:224.} ^{▼▼ The Hebrew term translated “select” (and the whole verse) is reminiscent of the classic covenant text (Exod 19:4–6) which describes Israel’s entry into covenant relationship with the Lord. Israel must resist paganism and its trappings precisely because she is a holy people elected by the Lord from among the nations to be his instrument of world redemption (cf. Deut 7:6; 26:18; Ps 135:4; Mal 3:17; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9).} above all others on the face of the earth.